1 februari 2014 EDITORIAAL

NIEUWSBRIEF 19/1

februari 2014

EDITORIAAL

Commercieel Succes De Vlaamse Ruimtevaartindustrie heeft een duidelijke strategie: de mogelijkheden van de internationale ruimtevaartprogramma’s om eigen producten en diensten te ontwikkelen worden gebruikt om een eigen marktstrategie uit te werken. Deze zorgt ervoor dat heel wat Vlaamse bedrijven in hun markt wereldspeler werden. In dit nummer staan daar een aantal mooie voorbeelden van. Umicore is sinds jaar en dag wereldleider op het vlak van substraten voor zonnecellen voor satellieten en bouwt deze strategie verder uit. Newtec is ook sinds lang een wereldspeler op het vlak van apparatuur voor de triple-play via satelliet en behaalde in een moeilijke economische context opnieuw een aantal mooie commerciële successen. Qinetiq, de ontwikkelaar van de Proba satelliet, ondertekende de overeenkomst voor de levering van een satelliet aan Vietnam. Ook de onderzoeksinstellingen die lid zijn van VRI hebben een strategie die niet beperkt is tot het louter deelnemen aan de onderzoeksprogramma’s: voor hen zijn de strategische ontwikkelingen die met ruimtevaartbudgetten gebeuren vaak de oorsprong van spin-off initiatieven. Bij IMEC zien we bijvoorbeeld dat een onevenredig groot aandeel van alle spin-offs van deze onderzoeksinstelling voortkomen uit het relatief kleine aandeel dat ruimtevaart betekent voor IMEC. Eén van deze spin-offs, Cmosis, was daarbij zonder meer een van de grootste groeiers binnen Vlaanderen en werd overgenomen door een partner die deze groeimogelijkheden alleen maar versterkt. Als VRI dan poneert dat elke euro die door de overheid in de Vlaamse ruimtevaart wordt geïnvesteerd een goede investering is, is dit geen holle slogan. De totale ruimtevaartomzet van de VRI leden is drie maal de besteding die de overheid vrijmaakt. We houden dan nog geen rekening met de omzet die behaald wordt door de leden buiten ruimtevaart waarbij wij ook belangrijke omzet en tewerkstelling creëren. De Vlaamse nichestrategie die geboren is uit noodzaak omdat onze bedrijven slechts laat toegang kregen tot de ruimtevaartmarkten werkt dus.

VRI NIEUWSBRIEF 19/1 – februari 2014

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Commercial Success Stories The Flemish space industry has always had a clear strategy. We use the opportunities offered by the international space programmes to develop our state of the art products and services that form the basis for our commercial strategy. This has contributed to the success of several companies who are now world leader in their markets. In this issue of our Newsletter a few success stories illustrating this are given. Umicore has been a world leader for substrates for solar cells for satellites for decades and continuously reinforces that strategy. Newtec is a global player for terminals for triple-play via satellite and was able to close important new deals. Qinetiq, the developer of the Proba-satellite family, has signed an agreement for the delivery of a satellite to Vietnam. The research institutes that are VRI members have a strategy of their own that is broader than their participation in research programmes. They use the strategic developments funded by the space budgets as a starting point for spin-off initiatives. At IMEC, the number of spin-offs created using space technology by far exceeds the relatively small portion that the space budget represents within IMEC’s overall budget. One of these spin-off companies, CMOSIS, was one of the fastest growing companies in Flanders and was now taken over by a partner who will support new growth initiatives. VRI’s position that each EURO spent by our government in Flanders is well spent is proven to be correct. The overall turnover in the space sector, without counting the indirect turnover, represents three times that investment. Our strategy based on niches was born out of necessity. When Flanders’ companies entered the space market the main positions were taken and we had to define our own strategy. But that strategy works.

In dit nummer 3

Imec Celebrates 30 Years of Nanoelectronics Industry Innovation

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Imec and AlixPartners to Develop Model Aimed at Lowering Costs of Advanced Semiconductor Technology

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CMOSIS to be acquired by TA Associates EBU and Newtec sign multimillion euro contract

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Belgisch consortium ondertekent contract voor bouw van Vietnamese aardobservatiesatelliet

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Antwerp Space Leden VRI VRI NIEUWSBRIEF 19/1 – februari 2014

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Imec Celebrates 30 Years of Nanoelectronics Industry Innovation

Institute Highlights Most Notable Contributions to Advancing Worldwide Semiconductor, Life Science, Wireless and Energy Technologies World-leading nanotechnology research and development center imec, today announced the celebration of its 30th anniversary. Founded in 1984 as a non-profit organization, imec has grown to be a multi-disciplinary expertise center in the fields of semiconductor chips and systems, electronics for life sciences, body area networks, energy, photovoltaics, sustainable wireless communication, image sensors and vision systems, and flexible electronics and displays. Through innovations in nanoelectronics, imec has collaborated with numerous partners from universities, research institutes and top companies, creating solutions and developing emerging technology for a sustainable environment. In the domain of semiconductor technologies, imec has enabled notable advancements in global semiconductor chip manufacturing in the three decades since its founding. At the forefront in advancing immersion lithography, EUV, double patterning imec has driven lithography as a key solution to overcome the challenges in scaling down features in silicon chips. In 2013, imec and ASML, broadened their partnership with the launch of a Patterning Center. When complete, this Center will offer the global semiconductor ecosystem the most advanced patterning knowledge for sub-10nm technologies, crucial to addressing future scaling and infrastructure challenges. This Center will be extended through partnerships with other suppliers into a ‘Suppliers Hub’, to collaborate on the development of next generation process technology solutions. Launched in 2003, imec’s research platform addressed the needs of the semiconductor value chain during the crucial transition from 200mm to 300mm silicon wafers as a manufacturing standard. The platform allows companies to collaborate on advanced process module and device research, targeting technology generations two to three nodes ahead of state-of-theart IC production. Today, this initiative has evolved to a global collaboration platform with global industry leaders such as Intel, Samsung, TSMC, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Micron, SK Hynix, Toshiba, SanDisk, Panasonic, Sony, Qualcomm, Altera, Fujitsu, nVidia, Xilinx, and others, driving semiconductor industry innovations. Imec’s main achievements in semiconductor process technology research include: 1) Development of sub-22nm process technologies: From silicides to copper (Cu), to the introduction of low-k and high-k/metal gates, imec’s R&D has explored techniques to overcome interconnect metallization issues. In 2013, imec demonstrated the world’s first 3D compound


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semiconductor FinFET. Integrating III-V and silicon materials on the same 300mm silicon wafer through a unique silicon fin replacement process, imec demonstrated progress toward continued CMOS scaling at 7nm and below, enabling future hybrid CMOS-RF and CMOSoptoelectronics. 2) Contributions to manufacturability and circuit performance of advanced devices: Imec’s outstanding cleaning expertise has resulted in wafer cleaning solutions with high particle removal efficiency and minimal chemical use. The Rotagoni™ cleaning method, developed in 2001, solved the challenges faced by single-wafer wet cleaning. Also, imec pioneered research on 3D integrated circuits as a potential road to build more complex, more powerful and more cost-effective electronic systems, combining different types of functionalities on an ever smaller footprint. In 2008, imec demonstrated, for the first time ever, 3D integrated circuits. Imec’s innovation in nanoelectronics has been a driver for developments in many other domains including healthcare, energy, photovoltaics, communications, and mobility, where imec has applied its semiconductor technology expertise. In 2013, imec’s life science research gained momentum by forging new R&D collaborations with Johns Hopkins University, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Pacific Biosciences, Panasonic, JSR, and others. Such collaborations will lead to breakthroughs in healthcare with the development of the next generation of “lab on chip” concepts, powerful supercomputers for life sciences research, and sensor array tools to advance neuroscience research. “It’s our ambition to further position imec as a unique innovation hub for Europe and the world, where disruptive technology ideas are generated and come to fruition,” stated Luc Van den hove, president and chief executive officer at imec. “We welcome scientists, researchers and engineers from companies of various fields to collaborate with us as they advance and tune their innovations. Imec has proven to be the birthplace of new discoveries, and we confidently look forward to the next 30 years of innovation that will be the backbone of the solutions that will help make the world a better, more sustainable place.” Learn more about our plans for the future and meet us at one of the 30th anniversary editions of our IMEC TECHNOLOGY FORUM in Seoul, Brussels, San Francisco, Taipei and Tokyo, attended by industry leaders and visionaries from all over the globe. Check our new digital magazine on www.imec.be/imecmagazine and watch out for more to come on www.imec.be.


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Imec and AlixPartners to Develop Model Aimed at Lowering Costs of Advanced Semiconductor Technology

Patterning options for N10/N7 nodes, advanced packaging solutions and 3D NAND memory to be targeted Nanoelectronics research center imec and AlixPartners, a leading global business advisory firm, announced today that the two companies are co-developing a cost modeling solution to assess the cost of advanced semiconductor technology options. The work is aimed at assisting the semiconductor industry in improving the operational intelligence around costs of future technology nodes. This modeling will assess the cost of various patterning options for N10/N7 nodes, advanced packaging solutions and 3D NAND memory – all topics with big impacts on the price-tag of future consumer electronics. Imec and AlixPartners will be comparing the ‘should-be’ cost of lithography-patterning from a system perspective and will assist in providing this information to industry suppliers and materials providers to better provision the development of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and/or 193inm multi-patterning lithography solutions. This model, designed to address advanced patterning costs, will also be crucial for fabless semiconductor companies (those that outsource their manufacturing) that are defining product strategy in close collaboration with foundries. Economics today are challenging Moore’s law as the costs associated with node progression have been rising significantly. Below the 28nm node, the semiconductor industry is struggling to maintain its historical 30-percent cost savings per logic gate node over node. At the same time, consumer markets today are demanding cheaper smartphones and other devices, including for the Internet of Things (IoT).


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“More than ever, decisions on future technologies must be driven by economics, and this collaborative effort is designed to be a giant step toward providing granular visibility into the costs that drive the semiconductor ecosystem. With this visibility, industry leaders will have the decision support needed to make smart choices on breakthrough technologies, with their available resources”, said Nord Samuelson, Managing Director at AlixPartners and Leader of the firm’s North American High Technology and Semiconductor Practice. As part of this joint effort, imec and AlixPartners will also work with interested parties who have new ideas on how to reduce semiconductor design, development and manufacturing costs, thereby assisting with the building of corresponding cost models via imec’s existing Industrial Affiliation Program (IIAP). An Steegen, Senior Vice President of Process Technologies at imec, said: “Over the last years, we have been pushed by our partners to find new ways to revive Moore’s law from a cost perspective and identify new technologies that can significantly reduce processing cost. We are excited about our collaboration with AlixPartners as it will help us to precisely quantify and compare the cost of different options considered – and in this way prioritize our R&D efforts – and assist in strategizing a product’s roadmap.” Scott Jones, a Director in AlixPartners’ High Technology and Semiconductor Practice, said: “AlixPartners’ business has been built on helping a wide variety of industries to overcome complex operational challenges, uncover new opportunities, minimize risk and maximize value. As the semiconductor industry continues to see rapidly-changing market dynamics, we’re pleased to work with an innovation catalyst such as imec to develop a model designed to help the industry successfully generate next-generation mass-market solutions and products.”

IMEC HEADQUARTERS Kapeldreef 75 3001 Heverlee Belgium T: +32 16 28 12 11 F: +32 16 28 94 00 [email protected]


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CMOSIS to be acquired by TA Associates

CMOSIS is pleased to announce that TA Associates, a global growth private equity firm, has agreed to acquire CMOSIS, a leading pureplay supplier of high performance standard and custom CMOS image sensors. The transaction is conditional on regulatory clearance and is expected to be completed by early 2014. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. CMOSIS is a major player in the industrial, scientific and professional markets for image sensors, covering applications such as machine vision, high-end digital photography, digital cinema, aerospace & scientific, medical and biometrics. CMOSIS employs over 60 people and is based in Antwerp, Belgium. With financial backing and support from Capital-E Arkiv, CMOSIS was founded in November 2007. CMOSIS broadened its capital base and raised further growth capital in 2009 from ING Corporate Investments (Belgium); ING Activator Fund, the ARKimedes Investment Fund of ING Belgium; and Participatiemaatschapij Vlaanderen. Luc De Mey, Chairman and CEO of CMOSIS commented: “This transaction will allow CMOSIS to continue growing as an independent company with the support of TA Associates, a strong financial partner that has an impressive track record in building technology companies and is committed to supporting our future growth. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Capital-E, ING and PMV for their strong support in growing CMOSIS.” J. Morgan Seigler, a Principal at TA Associates (UK), LLP who will join the company’s Board of Directors commented: “The CMOSIS management team has demonstrated expertise in building image sensor businesses. We are excited to partner with such experienced and successful


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entrepreneurs. CMOSIS is profitable, with a highly reputable brand, attractive client base, and impressive and accelerating growth.” The image sensor market is growing and predicted to exceed $8 billion by 2014, according to Yole Développement. CMOSIS is focused on several smaller, but high-growth, segments within this market such as machine vision, production cameras, traffic enforcement, medical devices and high-end consumer products. Within the overall market, CMOS continues to gain share over the more established charge-coupled device (CCD) technology. Ajit Nedungadi, a Managing Director at TA Associates (UK), LLP who will also join the company’s Board of Directors commented: “CCD has traditionally been the dominant technology in the highend image sensor market that CMOSIS serves. The migration to CMOS is being driven by a lower cost of manufacturing, lower power requirements, higher speeds and improved sensor resolution. This accelerating market shift should continue to prove favorable for CMOSIS.” Oppenheimer Europe and ING Corporate Finance are acting as joint financial advisers to CMOSIS and Baker & McKenzie is acting as legal adviser. Travers Smith and NautaDutilh are providing legal counsel to TA Associates. EOC Partners LLP is providing corporate finance advice to TA Associates.

CMOSIS Coveliersstraat 15 B-2600 Antwerp - Belgium T: +32 3 260 17 30 F: +32 3 260 17 79 [email protected] www.cmosis.com


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EBU and Newtec sign multimillion euro contract

Newtec and EBU Sign Deal The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is to deploy Newtec’s satellite Multiservice Broadcast solution on its pan-European news exchange network “Our Members increasingly demand more content, which is why we selected Newtec to help our network upgrade. This step will further enable us in our mission to defend the interests of public service media,” said Ingrid Deltenre, Director General of the European Broadcasting Union.

Newtec Kerstin Roost Public Relations Director Tel: +49 30 430 95 562 E-mail: [email protected]


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Belgisch consortium ondertekent contract voor bouw van Vietnamese aardobservatiesatelliet

Een consortium van Belgische ruimtevaartbedrijven, waaronder QinetiQ Space ondertekende in aanwezigheid van vicepremier Johan Vande Lanotte en de Belgische ambassadeur een contractueel voorakkoord met de Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST). Het contract omvat een totaalpakket voor de bouw en levering van een volledige satellietinfrastructuur in Vietnam. Die bestaat uit het bouwen van de satelliet, grondstation en testfaciliteiten, de training van Vietnamese mensen en het opereren van de satelliet gedurende de periode van een jaar. Naast het ruimtevaartbedrijf uit Kruibeke, maken het Waalse Spacebel en Amos deel uit van het volledig Belgisch consortium.

Optische aardobservatiesatelliet vergelijkbaar met Proba-V QinetiQ Space is verantwoordelijk voor het ontwerp en de constructie van de satelliet. “De eerste contacten zijn gelegd door softwarebedrijf Spacebel, dat tot voor kort een filiaal had in Vietnam. De onderhandelingen hebben toch een vijftal jaren aangesleept vooraleer de ondertekening kon plaatsvinden”, aldus Frank Preud’homme, commercieel directeur bij QinetiQ Space. De Vietnamese satelliet krijgt de naam VNREDSat-1B, dat staat voor Vietnam Resource, Environment & Disaster Monitoring Satellite. De aardobservatiesatelliet zal grote gelijkenissen vertonen met Proba-V, de satelliet gebouwd door QinetiQ Space die momenteel de wereldwijde vegetatie in kaart brengt. “Het gaat in dit geval om een optische satelliet die over een hyperspectraal instrument beschikt. Naast gewone foto’s kan de camera foto’s nemen die extra informatie bevatten. Hyperspectrale gegevens leveren meer gedetailleerde informatie op over objecten en maken een precieze identificatie mogelijk”, aldus Preud’homme.


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De Vietnamese regering wil de satelliet breed inzetten voor het opvolgen van het landbouwbeleid. Vietnam is economisch erg afhankelijk van zijn natuurlijke bronnen. Vooral de opbrengst van gewassen en het watermanagement zijn belangrijk voor het Vietnamese landbouwbeleid. Dankzij de kunstmaan zal het land op een onafhankelijke manier zijn grondgebied en omliggende omgeving kunnen observeren vanuit de ruimte en op basis daarvan voorspellingen maken. “Dankzij dit nieuwe contract kan QinetiQ Space zich verder profileren als specialist in het bouwen en leveren van aardobservatiesatellieten. De ondertekening is hopelijk een trigger voor andere landen waarmee we momenteel in gesprek zijn”, besluit Frank Preud’homme.

Hogenakkerhoekstraat 9 9150 Kruibeke Belgium T +32 (0)3 250 14 14 F +32 (0)3 253 14 64 [email protected] www.qinetiq.com


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Antwerp Space

SAT HAG1 RF Suitcase delivery In December 2013 Antwerp Space delivered the SGEO HAG1 RF Suitcase to OHB System. Antwerp Space positions itself towards being the main RF Suitcase supplier within the OHB Group.

Antwerp Space delivers 2 High Speed Omnisat demodulators to China Antwerp Space has delivered 2 Omnisat high speed modems to China. The Chinese customers were at Antwerp Space at the end of 2013 for the Factory Acceptance Test, and the equipment has been shipped afterwards to China. After the Chinese New Year, Antwerp Space will be touring in China for the commissioning of the equipment and for demos to other potential customers.


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EXOMARS Antwerp Space is part of the ExoMars 2018 Carrier Module industry team since the phase B and active under the leadership of OHB System. Antwerp Space hence started the activities in December 2012. The Phase B will run until middle 2014 and we are now going to tackle the next phase C/D. The main object of the ExoMars 2018 mission is to land and deploy a Rover on the martian surface searching for traces of past and present signs of life as well as collecting and analyzing samples from within surface rocks and from the subsurface. The Rover will be accommodated within a Roscosmos-provided Descent Module (DM) which will be carried to Mars by an ESAprovided Carrier Module (CM). This represents a key element both for the scientific success of ExoMars objectives and, potentially, for the preparation of a future Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. Antwerp Space is responsible of the communication subsystem (including digital electronics). The communication subsystem includes a X-Band Deep Space transponder, TWTA, L/HGA (Low and High Gain Antenna) as well as the CRTU (Command Remote Terminal Unit). It will provide the spacecraft composite (CM and DM) with telemetry, telecommand and ranging functions for all CM mission phases. The picture below shows the ExoMars 2018 communication architecture and communication links between the spacecraft composite and the ground system.

Antwerp Space Berkenrodelei 33, 2660 Antwerpen 03 829 50 50 VRI NIEUWSBRIEF 19/1 – februari 2014

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DH

CONSULTANCY

www.dhconsultancy.com www.cmosis.com www.caeleste.be www.bracquene.be www.antwerpspace.be

www.imec.be www.gim.be www.flag.be www.eurosense.com www.estooling.be

www.oip.be www.newtec.eu www.lmsintl.com www.kuleuven.be www.rma.ac.be

www.scksen.be www.sabca.com www.qinetiq.com www.onsemi.com

www.orbanmicrowave.com

www.vki.ac.be www.vito.be www.umicore.com 08-09-10 logo_red tab.indd 1

10-09-2008 09:16:41

www.spaceapplications.com

www.septentrio.com

www.vrind.be www.xenics.com www.voxdale.be

Contact Vlaamse Ruimtevaartindustrie Afgevaardigd bestuurder Dhr. Hans Bracquené Projectmedewerker Mevr. Alexandra Bàbi Technologielaan 9 3001 Leuven België

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.vrind.be Tel.: +32-16-23 95 49 Fax: +32-16-20 06 21 BTW BE 455.534.170 Bank: 068-2324116-23

V.U. Hans Bracquené bvba/ VRI vzw Technologielaan 9 - B – 3001 LEUVEN Tel: 016/23 95 49 - Fax: 016/20 06 21 - www.bracquene.be

1 februari 2014 EDITORIAAL

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